1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of automatic or rapid-fire guns and more particularly to shell feeding apparatus for automatic or rapid-fire cannon.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Many types of automatic or rapid-fire guns are produced for military weapon systems. For most of such weapon systems, fast firing rates are required, with the required firing rates ordinarily bearing some relationship to gun calibre so that smaller caliber guns typically have higher firing rates than larger caliber guns. This caliber relationship to firing rate is attributable, for example, by the relatively greater ease with which small calibre shells can be fed to guns and the general capacity for storing or carrying comparatively larger supplies of small calibre ammunition. Moreover, since larger calibre guns have relatively large, massive moving parts, allowable stress considerations limit speed of operation.
As above-mentioned, one firing rate limiting factor is ability to feed shells to the gun in a rapid and, at the same time, reliable manner. Feeding of shells to small calibre guns, such as automatic rifles and submachine guns is usually relatively simple; although, reliable feeding may often still be a problem. Typically for such small arms, shell clips or drum magazines are used, springs in the clips or drums causing the serial advancing of shells into the gun as the gun is fired. Larger automatic guns, including machine guns and smaller calibre automatic cannon, typically use belt held ammunition, the belt, and hence the shells contained therein, being advanced in response to, or in unison with, firing of the gun.
Because loaded ammunition belts for medium calibre cannon shells, for example, those in the 30 to 40 mm size, tend to be too heavy to advance rapidly to the gun and also tend to be too stiff to permit the wide range of movement required for most guns of that calibre, other shell loading means are typically provided for medium calibre cannon. As an illustrative example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,938 discloses a two stage shell feeding apparatus in which "free" shells are advanced to a rotary shell feeder by a reciprocating slide mechanism. In turn, the rotary shell feeder rapidly rotates the advanced shells to a loading or pickup position of an associated gun. From this pickup position a gun bolt, on counterrecoil, strips the shells and rams them forwardly into a firing chamber for firing. Although very useful for a wide range of cannon calibres, these dual feeders are not particularly adaptable for large calibre (for example, 75 mm and larger) cannon since, for one reason, most larger calibre automatic or rapid fire cannon do not operate on a reciprocating bolt principle.
As a result, other types of mechanized shell loading apparatus are required for relatively large calibre, rapid fire cannon and, in particular, innovative shell feeders are required for pivoting breech cannon of the type disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 559,304, filed Dec. 9, 1983. Difficult problems are, for example, associated with providing fast-acting, reliable shell feeders for pivoting breech guns, especially when such factors as the space constraints imposed by mobile weapons systems must be taken into consideration. Additional operational difficulties are also routinely encountered in fully integrating the shell feeder not only with the particular gun-type involved but also with the associated shell magazine from which the feeder receives shells for feeding to the gun.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a shell feeder or rammer for a pivoting breech-type gun or the like, the rammer having a motion multiplying portion which enables a rapid, comparatively long shell ramming stroke while requiring only a relatively short actuation stroke.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shell feeder or rammer which is integrated with a rotary-type magazine such that the rammer is disposed along the rotational axis of the magazine.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rapid acting shell rammer for feeding telescoped shells into the breech of a pivoting breechtype rapid fire cannon.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.